A building blazed in the distance, smoke unfurling like a dark ribbon into the sky. The anguished cry of a young boy echoed through the chaos—faint, but unforgettable.

Mr. Lu stood still, framed by the window of his high-rise office, eyes locked on the fire below. The scene stirred something deep—a scar from a past he never spoke of.

“Sir,” his assistant’s voice cut in, firm yet respectful. “It’s time for your meeting.”

He blinked, pulled sharply back into the present. His gaze dropped to the small, gold pendant beneath his desk—quiet, unassuming, but heavy with memory.

Just then, his phone buzzed.

Wei Wei.

He hesitated, then answered.

“Lu han,” her voice was soft, familiar. “Dinner tonight?”

He glanced again at the pedal. A memory flickered. He nodded to himself. “Tonight. Seven.”

With a quiet breath, he ended the call and turned toward the meeting room, his composure impeccable, his steps precise.

Meanwhile, the lobby pulsed with energy. Riya clutched her folder to her chest, nerves prickling under her skin. Her heels clicked against the marble as she tried to remember every piece of advice she’d rehearsed.

“Riya! Where are you going?” her sister Rena’s voice called from behind. “The interview room is to the right!”

Flustered, Riya spun around—too fast.

Crash.

She collided hard with someone, her heel catching on something small beneath her. A sharp crack sliced through the hallway. A gold pendant—delicate and unfamiliar—lay shattered on the floor.

Her breath hitched. “I—I’m so sorry, sir. I didn’t see—”

Mr. Lu didn’t flinch.

His eyes dropped to the ruined object, then rose slowly to meet hers. Cold. Calculating. As if measuring her entire worth in a single breath.

“Do you walk into every room breaking things,” he asked, his voice smooth and merciless, “or am I just fortunate today?”

“I—It was an accident—” she stammered.

“Accidents,” he said, cutting her off with chilling precision, “are the result of carelessness. And carelessness has no place in this building.”

He adjusted the cuff of his sleeve, unmoved.

“You’re not ready. Leave.”

Riya stepped forward, her voice trembling. “But the interview—”

“Is over.”

He turned and walked away without another glance, the glass doors of the meeting room sliding shut behind him with a soft hiss—like a judge sealing a sentence.

Riya stood frozen in the hallway.

She hadn’t even seen the object. She hadn’t meant to break anything. And yet, in one moment, she had shattered more than a piece of metal—she had shattered her only chance.

Around her, the office moved on. But in her chest, something was collapsing.

Riya sat on the bench outside the towering building, her resume still clutched tightly in her hands, now crumpled at the edges.

Rena stood beside her, arms folded. “Come on, Riya. There’ll be other companies. Other chances.”

Riya shook her head, eyes fixed on the floor. “Not like this one. This isn’t just a company. It’s his company.”

Rena frowned softly. “You mean Mr. Lu?”

Riya nodded slowly. “I’ve followed his journey since I was sixteen. I’ve read every article, watched every interview. He built an empire out of nothing. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted to learn from.”

She looked up, eyes welling. “And today, I broke his trust before I could even say hello. I shattered something important to him—and he looked at me like I was nothing.”

Rena sat beside her, softer now. “You didn’t mean to break it, Riya. You didn’t even see it.”

“I should have been careful,” Riya whispered. “He didn’t even look angry. Just… disappointed. Cold.”

Rena looked at her quietly, then said with a strange weight in her voice:

“Don’t forget why we came here.”

Riya blinked. “What do you mean?”

“We didn’t come just for the job,” Rena said, her voice calm but firm.

After they reach the room.

Riya sat in silence, the streetlights casting flickers of light across her bedroom wall. The ache in her chest hadn’t dulled. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Mr. Lu’s expression—stone cold, unreadable—when the pedal broke beneath her heel.

Everything felt ruined.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed.

She glanced at the screen.

Risa.

Her twin sister.

Riya answered with a fragile voice, “Hello?”

“Hey,” came Risa’s familiar tone, warm and teasing. “So? How did it go? Did you finally meet the legendary Mr. Lu?”

Riya swallowed hard. Her eyes welled up.

“I messed it up, Risa,” she whispered. “I broke something—something important to him. A small pedal. I didn’t even see it. And he looked at me like... like I didn’t belong there.”

There was a pause on the other end. Then Risa’s voice came, calm and grounding.

“Riya, breathe. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Riya said shakily. “He ended the interview. Told me I wasn’t ready. I think I cracked my idol’s heart, Risa. I came all this way just to ruin everything.”

“You didn’t ruin everything,” Risa replied gently.

But “I failed, Risa. He didn’t even give me a second look. Just… dismissed me.”

She wiped a tear with the back of her hand. “How do I fix something like this?”

On the other end, Risa’s voice was calm, steady—the kind of warmth only a twin could give.

“Tomorrow, you go back,” she said softly. “You apologize, face him properly. It’ll be okay.”

There was something in her tone—quiet confidence, fierce belief—that reached into Riya’s cracked heart and held it together just a little longer.

Riya closed her eyes, exhaling slowly.

Maybe… just maybe… it wasn't over yet.

On the other side rena is watching everything she din’t no what to do

Quietly, she ran to her room, closed the door, and sank down beside her bed. Her hands trembled as she tried to hold back the tears. The weight of disappointment and helplessness pressed hard on her chest.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

She picked it up with shaky fingers. It was the family butler.

“Miss Rena,” he said, his voice urgent and somber, “the situation at home... it’s not good. Things are falling apart.”

Rena pressed her hand to her mouth, fighting back the sob building in her throat. She drew in a deep breath, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall.

“We just need a few more days,” she replied, her voice quiet but steady. “We’ve come this far. I will find it. I’ll get back everything they took from us.”

Though Rena had always been the softer one, the gentler soul—today, she knew she had to be strong. For Risa. For her family. And for the truth that still lay hidden in the past.

At Night

Mr. Lu stood in the quiet in the restaurant , his eyes fixed on the broken pendant in his hand. His fingers brushed its jagged edge as if trying to hold together something already lost.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

“Lu Han!” Wei Wei called, breathless as she rushed in and wrapped her arms around him. “Did you wait too long? I’m so sorry—traffic was awful!”

He didn’t return the hug immediately. His eyes were still on the pendant.

After a moment, he said quietly, “I broke it. The heirloom of your family you gave me. Your treasure.”

Wei Wei glanced at the fragments in his hand, then waved it off with a laugh. “That old thing? Don’t worry—it’s not a big deal. You can just compensate me with something else.”

Lu Han’s jaw tightened. He treasured the pedal far more than she ever had. Its true meaning… she never understood. And in that moment, something cold flickered in his chest.

Before he could say more, Wei Wei slid her hand into his and quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, I spoke with your mom this morning. She’s really hoping we’ll get engaged soon,” she said sweetly, eyes hopeful. “I know you’re not ready for marriage… but maybe we can at least make the announcement? It would make her so happy.”

Lu Han hesitated.

They had known each other since childhood. She had always been there—bright, loyal, familiar. But now, standing beside her, he felt… empty. As if something vital was missing, and no one had noticed but him.

He looked down at the broken pendant once more.

After a long silence, he took a deep breath and gave a faint nod.

“…Alright. Let’s do the engagement.”

Wei Wei’s face lit up with joy. She threw her arms around him. “Really? Oh, Lu Han! I knew you’d say yes!”

But as she smiled and laughed, planning the celebration in her head, Mr. Lu stared past her… toward the shards in his hand. Toward something lost… and someone he hadn’t even realized he was waiting for.

“Risa, come on! Breakfast is ready,” Rena called from the kitchen, placing two plates gently on the small dining table.

A moment later, Riya entered, arms crossed, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m Riya, not Risa. Seriously, sis?what happened to you ? can’t you tell us apart?”

Rena blinked, flustered. “Ah—sorry! My head’s a mess lately.” She smiled sheepishly. “Okay, dear Riya, come and eat. We’ve got to leave soon.”

As they sat down, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Riya opened the door and was immediately swept into a tight hug. “Risa! I missed you so much!” cried Lily (Li Fei Fei, the heiress of the Li Group and a close friend of theirs). She beamed with joy, unaware of the mix-up.

Riya sighed. “Lily… I’m Riya. Not Risa. Is this some sort of twin blindness epidemic?”

Lily looked over Riya’s shoulder to Rena, who simply gave a small nod. “Oops,” Lily laughed, covering her mouth. “Sorry! It’s been ages, okay? Let me make it up to you both. Lily tilted her head. “So, where are you two heading today? Let me drop you off. I’ll show you around a bit—this city is practically mine.”

“We’re going for an interview at An’s Group,” Rena said as she grabbed her bag.

“I’ll come with you later,” Riya added quickly. “I need to see Mr. Lu and apologize first.”

Lily’s brows rose in curiosity. “Apologize? Why? What happened?”

Riya explained everything on the way—how she’d accidentally broken the pedal, Mr. Lu’s reaction, and how everything spiraled out of control.

Lily stayed quiet for a moment, then smiled softly. “Alright. First, let’s drop Riya. Then I’ll go with Rena. Sound good?”

Riya nodded, grateful.

After dropping Riya near Lu Corporation, Fei Fei and Rena headed toward An’s Group. On the way, Fei Fei glanced over, her expression softening. “Rena... is everything okay at home? You look... troubled.”

Rena hesitated, then nodded slowly… before finally breaking down into tears. “No. Things aren’t okay… the family’s falling apart, Lily. We’re trying so hard, but…” Her voice cracked as she buried her face in Lily’s shoulder.

Lily wrapped her arms around her. “Shh. I’m here. Everything’s going to be alright. We’ll fix it. Together.”

Meanwhile, Riya stood outside Lu Corporation, her heart racing as she approached the front desk. She had no appointment, but she hoped—prayed—for a chance to see him.

“I’d like to meet Mr. Lu,” she told the receptionist. “Just for a moment—please.”

The receptionist hesitated. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but—”

Before she could say more, a sharp voice interrupted.

“What’s going on here?”

Riya turned to see Wei Wei, poised and elegant, walking toward the desk

entered from the elevator in full designer flair, pausing at the sight of Riya.

Her eyes narrowed. “What’s going on here?” she asked the receptionist.

“This young lady wants to meet Mr. Lu… but she doesn’t have an appointment,” the receptionist replied.

Wei Wei leaned in close and whispered something in the receptionist’s ear. The woman nodded and returned her gaze to Riya with a more guarded expression.

Wei Wei glanced at Riya with a cold smirk. “Next time, don’t waste people’s time. This is not a place for desperate girls with no appointments.”

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away without a second glance.

Riya stood frozen as the receptionist offered an apologetic smile. She stepped back, feeling the sting of humiliation tighten in her chest. With nowhere else to go, she quietly moved to a bench outside the glass walls, sitting alone—small against the towering building.

She stared at the clouds above and whispered to herself, “I’m not giving up. I came this far. I will face him.”